(NewsNation) — In his new book, Kenny Chesney is opening up about his friendship with late friend Jimmy Buffett.
In his upcoming book “Heart Life Music,” Kenny shares his “favorite Jimmy story,” according to People Magazine.
“When I went to my first Jimmy Buffett show, I had just moved to Nashville, and I had no money. It was pouring rain, and I was up in the grass (at Starwood Amphitheater) where you go when you can’t afford a real seat,” Chesney told People Magazine in an interview.
He added that seeing Buffett perform changed his life because it was his first time seeing someone give so much on stage while connecting with the audience.
Kenny Chesney at the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards held at the Dolby Theatre on March 17, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Buckner/Billboard via Getty Images) 
FILE – In this Feb. 9, 2023, photo provided by the Florida Keys News Bureau, singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett performs during a concert in Key West, Fla. (Rob O’Neal/Florida Keys News Bureau via AP)
“And then you fast-forward, and it’s surreal that you become friends with that person and collaborate with that person in the studio and have that person just really inspire you,” the “You and Tequila” singer said. “And that’s what Jimmy was for me.”
“You have people that create space for you to do your own thing, and Jimmy was one of those people,” he continued.
Kenny Chesney paid tribute to Jimmy Buffett
Buffett died in 2023 after a fight with Merkel cell carcinoma, a rare type of skin cancer.
Chesney paid tribute to the “Margaritaville” singer at the 2023 Country Music Association Awards with a rendition of “A Pirate Looks at Forty,” as well as Buffett’s posthumous Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in 2024, People Magazine reported.